PacificNorthwestPaintings

Drum head painting - work in progress

2008-07-21T16:49:00.000-07:00

No new daily paintings this week yet as I have been busy on a very special commission. I was asked to paint a 22" synthetic drum head to be used for display only on the front of a set of drums. The giftee wanted a view of the area he grew up in, the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. So, this is Saddlebacks Lake and about phase 4. I expect to finish it in a day or two. So, I'd say he's a lucky musician to have such a caring and thoughtful girlfriend as to do this for him, wouldn't you? I'll repost the finished piece.

Tuscany Patchwork 11 x 14" Oil on board

2008-07-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

A fine companion piece for "Take me Back to Tuscany" posted just a few days ago
on the blog. $165 framed, ready for hanging. Click on the purchase here button or email me if you need further info.

"Hope" Oil on canvas mounted on board

2008-07-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

This work is simply entitled "Hope", and that's what we in the Pacific Northwest have to have a lot of when stormy gray skies threaten to ruin a beautiful, promising late afternoon sunset. So, you can see the last 'rays of hope' in this painting glistening off the tops of the waves. 12 x 16" Oil on canvas, mounted on board. $400 framed, ready to hang. Click on the purchase now button to pay through Paypal, or email me here if you have any questions.

Take Me Back to Tuscany, Oil on board 8x10

2008-07-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today's work is titled "Take Me Back to Tuscany" and I think anyone who's ever been there knows why. This is the view from Volterra in the Toscano region, a city of 1100+ people and situated midway between Genoa and Rome, about 150 miles from each. This painting is framed in a lovely walnut frame, ready for hanging at just $165. Click on the 'purchase now' button if you too, would like to be transported 'back to Tuscany'.

Road Trip I, Oil on board miniature

2008-06-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today's painting is "Road Trip" and is the first in a series I will be doing. One of my favorite pastimes is to get in the car and just go - stop for lunch, paint if I have time, take lots of photos, and just enjoy the scenery of the beautiful Northwest! There's something about roads meandering off into the distance that I find intriguing and irresistable So, here's one - enjoy! $130 framed. Purchase now by clicking the button to Paypal.

"Wine with Fruit" 5" x 5" oil on canvas, Small Format

2008-06-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

A delicious miniature painting of wine and after dinner fruit displayed in this wide and heavily ornate antiqued gold frame. The frame is 4" wide and 2" deep. It sets off the work beautifully and would be exquisite in a dining room as part of a collection! Just $175, framed and with shipping/handling included. Please click on the 'purchase here' button to be taken to Paypal.

"Lemons in Copper" 5" x 5" Oil on canvas

2008-06-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

A great contemporary small format painting that just fits this great contemporary frame. The painting is three lemons just tumbling out of a copper pail onto a white linen tablecloth. Just $175, framed s/h included. Click on the purchase here button to buy through Paypal.

"Garlic Crock" 5" x 5" Oil Painting

2008-06-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

A contemporary small format piece set in a 3.5" wide soft silver frame, with a gold liner. The crock is a cool gray and would be beautiful in a dining room! Purchase price is $175, including shipping and handling. Please click the purchase here button to buy.

"Two and a Bosc" 5" x 5" Oil painting

2008-06-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is a small format piece in a large, ornate frame. The frame is heavy and 4" wide, 2.5" deep, and sets these pears off beautifully. It is a dark bronze color. The framed work sells for $175. Please email me here for further information or click on the 'purchase here' button below.

"Got Cream?" 4 "x 6" oil on board - today's work

2008-06-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, summer must be here - peaches showing up in the supermarket, and I've got 'em! Sooo, got cream? This delicious looking trio of peaches is available for only $100. Click n the purchase here button to buy it.

Plum Crazy - 6" x 6" Oil on canvas

2008-06-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Well, this is not today's painting because I had to let the underpainting dry just enough to lightly drag the haze color of that plum on the work. So, it's what....yesterday's work? Maybe. Anyhow, this is available for just $100. So, if you're plum crazy over this work, click on the' purchase here' button and it's yours. .

Lemon Love - Today's work - 5 x 5"

2008-06-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Now, here's a painting destined to make you pucker! I do love lemons! In fact, one of my favorite recipes is chicken breast marinated in the juice of three lemons, lots of fresh garlic and white wine. The chicken is just browned, then more lemon added - cooked in olive oil til done and then a lovely glaze made out of the remaining marinade. YUMMMMY! I digress, this 5" x 5" painting is available for just $100. Click on the purchase here button and paypal will make sure you get puckered!

2008-06-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'll be participating in the Wallingford 1st Wednesday Art Walk beginning on July 02 and continuing on through the month with my display at CUTZ Hair Salon, right across from the Wallingford Market. This is to be a fun event, I'm sure! Click here for more information on the art walk.

Award Winner - Catherine Grabar

2008-06-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

This charming young woman is Yekaterina Grabar (her Russian name) and she is a private student of mine. She won the very prestigious "Highest Achievement Award from the Art Department of Redmond High School", now her Alma Mater. Catherine had no idea she was to be given the award, so the smile I managed to capture on her face in my video at Graduation on the 11th of this month, is one of genuine surprise! All I can say is that she's a very talented painter and an extremely versatile artist. Yekaterina will be attending the University of Washington this Fall with a major in ....tah dahhhh.....ART!
GO CATHERINE!

"Red, White & Blue" 5 x 7"

2008-06-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Today's Painting
Such a short season for cherries, but they are so yummy! I couldn't resist painting them, as I do every year as soon as I see them in the market. A simple composition with strong blue diagonals. The title just seemed appropriate. Cherries? Doesn't everyone in America love 'em?

5" x 7", gallery wrapped canvas - no frame needed. Just $100! Click on the 'buy now' button and it will be on it's way to you.

Sunsational - San Juan Islands

2008-06-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here are two just recently completed and are at the Oasis Gallery in Seattle.
Which reminds me, they not only have a great gallery, but a great monthly newsletter as well. Why not use this link and sign up for it?

The San Juans (as they are known here in the Northwest) comprise a small group of beautiful islands north of here and reachable by ferry service. Some of the prettiest sunsets in the entire Pacific Northwest can be found from the beaches of any number of these small islands. It's a wonderful area to be - the pace just seems slower. I'd love to live on a small island like one of these, but I'd have to win the lottery to do so. It's a bit pricey!

Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes!

2008-05-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

More tomatoes! Well, they were here, they looked 'paintable' to me and so I painted them! Maybe next time I'll paint sliced tomatoes. I've added a companion piece with green peppers to these tomatoes. They make a beautiful pair for a kitchen, dining area. Bright colorful - and framed in bright, white frames to compliment shiny white appliances!

Seattle Skyline in progress

2008-05-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a bit of a departure for my usual style, but it's really been fun to do something a little different.

This work is for a show I am entering, "Red, White or Blue" and requires the artists to use a monochromatic palette with only the addition of black and white. Soooo, I selected white. At some point, I decided to add a vertical element to the work and it became a diptych. I mean, who could ignore the Space Needle? The Space Needle is a bit north of the downtown view I used for the skyline, so the diptych just *worked*.

"Tomatoes Two, Tomatoes, Three"

2008-05-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

These are both 4" x 6", oil on board. $100 each, unframed. I am absolutely nuts over tomatoes, especially tomatoes in summer - fresh from the vine. However, I've found a reasonable replacement, since summer seems to have deserted the Seattle area over the last few years, and at the very least - even when we have a few decent summer days, the growing season isn't long enough. But, I still need my 'tomato' fix. Costco sells tomatoes from a grower named "Campari" and I have to say, they are the BEST tomatoes ever! I am able to have the 'fresh from the vine' taste all winter long and have never been more pleased over store-bought tomatoes. Here's a link to their site. They have some great tomato recipes on the site as well. Try them, you won't regret it, I promise!

"Eagle Point" Oil on board

2008-05-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful little spot on the Oregon coast and while I don't know it's *official* name, I call it that because there was an eagle perched right in that tree. It's from a photo I took at the rest stop. Good place to rest, don't you think? This is 4" x 6" oil on board and sells for $130 framed.

PLEASE VOTE FOR MY STUDENT!!

2008-05-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here comes the commercial! Please vote for my young student (see all pertinent info below)
She's a Doodle for Google finalist and I am sending out a plea for votes for her. Please help ME help HER win! She's listed on the page under grades 10-12, Mariam - the last one on the page. Voting is open today through the 18th and you can vote daily.
VOTE HERE

Doodle 4 Google Regional FINALIST!

2008-05-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, am *I* ever proud!!!
This is 17 year old Mariam Hovhannisyan and she is my latest pride and joy as she has just been selected as one of the 40 national finalists (and 1 of 10 in her age group) in the "Doodle for Google" contest!! Can you see me beaming??

Mariam had her first solo show last month where she sold 7 prints, 2 paintings and a commission! She's on her way! She has been a student of mine since she was about 10 years old and was taking prizes even back then, when I was the art director for the Boys and Girls Club. She won a regional competition sponsored by L'Oreal and I knew even back then that she was in for a career in the arts. And just last year, she won second place in her division at the Magnolia Summer Festival & Art Show here in Seattle. She'll be entering again this year. I can't wait!

She's been invited to travel to Googleplex in California for an expense paid visit for the finals. In addition, if she becomes one of the final 4, she wins a laptop! The grand prize winner gets a $10K scholarship and a $25K prize for their public school! So, please help me help her WIN and vote, starting Monday the 12th of May through the 18th!

Here's the information from Google's site:
Doodle 4 Google, a competition where we invite K-12 students to play around with our homepage logo and see what they come up with. This year we're inviting U.S. kids to join in the doodling fun, around the intriguing theme "What if...?"

A panel of judges will select 40 finalist doodles, from which the public will help select a favorite to be featured on our homepage on May 22nd, 2008.

So, as of Monday, the 12th of May - I will be asking my loyal blog readers for their support for my young, VERY talented student. Please take a moment to visit her blog and maybe leave her a comment with some congratulations and good luck wishes? She's got the most amazing stylized art!
http://artofmariamhovhannisyan.blogspot.com/

Maple Leaf Church Art Exhibit

2008-05-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

All these works are hanging at the Maple Leaf Church in Seattle through June. They have the wildest walls, and it was uncanny how the art seemed to 'just fit' with the color walls.

"Magnolia Grandiflora" Large Original Oil

2008-05-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

This elegant floral is 30" x 30" on gallery wrapped canvas. It is part of a series of six large florals I am doing; sunflower, poppy, Stargazer Lily, Tulip and Chrysanthemum. Almost done with the Lily and then do the Mum - and voila~ ready for a show date! The purchase price is $900

"A Place to Dream" Miniature Oil

2008-05-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

A lovely little miniature oil on board, unframed at just $120. It can be beautifully framed for an additional $20. Wouldn't you love to just dip your toes in this refreshing little stream? As I was painting it, that's about all I could think of.